Formula 1: Lando Norris confirmed at McLaren for 2021
By Asher Fair
As expected, Lando Norris is set to return to McLaren for the 2021 Formula 1 season alongside new teammate Daniel Ricciardo.
Lando Norris signed what was described as a “multi-year” contract extension back in July of 2019 to remain with the McLaren Formula 1 team for the foreseeable future.
But as is the case with many Formula 1 contracts, that deal was believed to have options that would have allowed the two sides to part ways after the 2020 season, which is slated to be the 20-year-old Briton’s second year with the team whenever it gets underway.
However, amid the confirmation that Daniel Ricciardo is slated to replace the Ferrari-bound Carlos Sainz Jr. at the Woking-based team starting next year, McLaren have officially confirmed that Norris is set to return to the team for another season next year as well.
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In his rookie year as the youngest driver on the grid, Norris placed 11th in the driver standings with top finishes of sixth place in the Bahrain Grand Prix and the Austrian Grand Prix.
He would have finished in a career-high fifth place in the Belgian Grand Prix, but he lost power on the final lap of the race and finished in 11th. The 10 points he lost as a result of this unfortunate occurrence cost him a ninth place finish in the driver standings.
He finished the 21-race season with an average finish of 11.4 and 11 top 10, point-scoring efforts in 15 finishes. He became the youngest driver in Formula 1 history to finish a race in his debut at the age of 19 years and 124 days old with his 12th place finish in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
Norris broke the previous record by just one day, as it had been held by Jaime Alguersuari. Alguersuari finished in 15th place in his debut driving for Toro Rosso in the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix at the age of 19 years and 125 days old.
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The Austrian Grand Prix is scheduled to kick off the 2020 Formula 1 season on Sunday, July 5 at the Red Bull Ring, although that remains subject to change given the fluidity of the situation caused by the coronavirus pandemic.